EDINA, Mo. - Knox County leaned on a powerful rushing attack, created two pivotal plays on special teams and found one final answer when Lamoni threatened late Friday night.
Carson Hayes rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns, Blaise Howerton reached the 100-yard mark for the first time in his high school career and Creighton Karhoff scored twice in the Eagles’ 58-40 non-conference victory at Knox County High School.
Knox County finished with 299 rushing yards and improved to 2-0, but the final margin did not fully reflect the pressure Lamoni applied throughout a second half played in sweltering conditions. The Demons pulled within 10 points with 5:52 remaining before Hayes connected with Karhoff on fourth down to finally put the game away.
The Eagles established control early after their defense ended Lamoni’s opening possession. Landry Johnson carried the ball near the Knox County 20-yard line before the Eagles forced a fumble and recovered it at the 22.
Hayes turned the takeaway into the game’s first points, keeping the ball through the middle for a three-yard touchdown with 8:58 remaining in the opening quarter. The conversion failed, but Knox County had taken a 6-0 lead.
The Eagles doubled that advantage late in the period. Howerton followed his blocking and broke through the Lamoni defense for a 17-yard touchdown with 32 seconds remaining. Hayes carried in the conversion to send Knox County into the second quarter leading 14-0.
Lamoni needed only one defensive play to change the complexion of the game. Camden Olson intercepted Hayes and returned the ball approximately 20 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-6 with 9:05 remaining in the half.
The Demons’ momentum lasted only 13 seconds.
Karhoff fielded the ensuing kickoff, found an opening and used his speed to race 77 yards for a touchdown. Howerton added the two-point conversion, immediately restoring Knox County’s 16-point advantage.
Lamoni continued finding ways to answer. Brock Binkley completed a 60-yard pass to Tyson Lloyd before finishing the quick possession with an eight-yard touchdown run. The conversion brought the Demons within 22-14.
Knox County’s defense supplied the next points after Lamoni was pinned near its own goal line. Hayes broke into the backfield and tackled the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety, extending the lead to 24-14 and returning possession to the Eagles.
Hayes capitalized with his second rushing touchdown, scoring from 23 yards out with 3:31 remaining in the half. Binkley responded by breaking loose for a 40-yard touchdown, sending Lamoni into halftime within 30-20.
The Demons received the second-half kickoff and quickly gained another opportunity when Knox County lost a fumble at its own 29-yard line. Penalties prevented Lamoni from turning that takeaway into points, but another short field later in the quarter allowed Binkley to score on a nine-yard run.
His third rushing touchdown brought the Demons within 30-26 with 4:34 remaining in the third quarter, placing Knox County in its closest game situation of the young season.
The Eagles responded with one of their most important possessions of the night. Hayes connected with Richard Pagan for a 35-yard gain during the drive before Howerton finished it with a 12-yard touchdown run. A successful conversion extended the lead to 38-26.
Knox County then caught Lamoni off guard with a directional kickoff. Ezra Scoggin raced downfield and recovered the loose ball at the Demons’ 22-yard line, giving the Eagles an immediate opportunity to create separation.
Three plays later, Hayes found the end zone on a nine-yard run. Although the conversion failed, Knox County had turned a four-point game into a 44-26 advantage in less than three minutes.
Lamoni refused to fade. Lloyd scored on a four-yard run early in the fourth quarter, and Binkley found Cody Burton for the conversion to cut the Eagles’ lead to 44-34 with 10:04 remaining.
Hayes delivered another immediate response. The senior quarterback kept the ball, broke through the defense and raced 56 yards for his fourth rushing touchdown of the night. The score restored a 16-point advantage, but the Demons still had one more push remaining.
Binkley continued attacking through the air and found Olson for a 23-yard touchdown with 5:52 left. The conversion failed, leaving Knox County ahead 50-40 with Lamoni preparing an onside kick.
Scoggin secured the kick near midfield, but the Eagles still needed to move the chains against a Lamoni offense that had demonstrated its ability to score quickly. Hayes helped Knox County reach the Demons’ 17 before the drive arrived at fourth-and-four with less than three minutes remaining.
Rather than attempting to run for the first down, Knox County head coach Bruce Vannoy called for a pass. Hayes executed the play-action fake and found Karhoff open on a crossing route for a 17-yard touchdown.
Hayes carried in the conversion to produce the final 58-40 margin with 2:34 remaining. Knox County’s defense then forced a turnover on downs, allowing the Eagles to finish the game in victory formation.
Hayes completed 10 of 16 passes for 104 yards, one touchdown and one interception in addition to his 190 yards and four scores on 22 rushing attempts. His touchdown pass and defensive safety allowed him to directly contribute to 34 of Knox County’s 58 points.
Howerton added 100 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, reaching triple digits for the first time in his high school career. Karhoff caught the decisive touchdown after providing one of the game’s defining moments with his 77-yard kickoff return.
Binkley led Lamoni’s response with three rushing touchdowns and helped the Demons accumulate 183 passing yards. Olson scored on both sides of the ball with his interception return and fourth-quarter touchdown reception, while Lloyd contributed a rushing score and 62 receiving yards.
Both teams endured frequent stoppages for cramping on a night when the temperature stood above 90 degrees near kickoff and remained in the mid-80s well into the second half.
Knox County will carry its 2-0 record into its first road game of the season Friday, traveling to Queen City to face Schuyler County during the Rams’ homecoming game.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
